Information for Parents

School Information

HISTORY

Our school, initially named St. Anacletus School, first began in 1884 in an old wooden and iron building situated between the Broken Hill and Terowie train lines, opposite the Church. The Sisters of St. Joseph with the guidance of Mary MacKillop began classes in January 1897. At that time the school name changed, but remained on the above site until 1926 when the John Henry Norton Memorial School Building was opened. Up until the early 1970’s the school taught all classes up to and including secondary.

The Sisters at that time cared for boarding students, firstly boys and then girls. The story of St Joseph’s continues to evolve as we journey together. At all times from the early days of 1884 until now, the staff strive to provide the children with every help they need to develop to their full potential, as an important individual in our school, in our world.

SCHOOL BOARD

Each diocesan School Board has responsibility for the overall wellbeing of its school. In practice, this means that, in a spirit of partnership, Boards act in an advisory capacity to:

Develop policies that nurture the religious dimension and guide the direction of the school;

Develop the relationship between the school and the local Church;

Ensure that the academic standards of the school must be at least as distinguished as that achieved in other schools in the region;

Support the administration of the school;

Offer pastoral care to the school community;

Protect children;

Monitor buildings and grounds development and maintenance;

Exercise financial stewardship of the school;

Ensure compliance with legal obligations.

The School Board is comprised of the following:- Priest, Chairperson, Treasurer, Principal, Staff Representative, Elected Representatives.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

St Joseph’s School is highly valued and well supported by the community. The school also acknowledges the parish and wider community as an important and valuable resource of the life of the School.

CATHOLIC PARISH

St. Joseph’s School is part of the Catholic Parish of Peterborough in the Port Pirie Diocese. There is no resident Priest, however, Fr Leon Quinn from Jamestown is available for Masses and other parish needs. Weekend Mass is on Sundays at 11.00am.

PARENTS & FRIENDS COMMITTEE

The P&F Committee’s role is to:

Develop a Christian community of parents

Work closely with the principal, staff, board/governing body, parish, religious orders and the Federation to achieve the goals of the school in general and the Association in particular

Achieve a high level of social and educational interaction between home, school, parents and teachers

Provide opportunities for parents to contribute to the development of the schools policies and practices

Encourage fuller participation by parents in the educational experience of their children

Provide a healthy forum for exchange of ideas and discussion on relevant issues of benefit to education generally the students in particular and the parents or teachers of the school

Plan with the principal and others (eg Parish Priest and School Board), the development of policies, policy change and generally the future welfare of the school

Be a vehicle through which parents and teachers can build proper partnerships to benefit the students themselves

Provide additional resources to improve facilities

Assist the school in the whole Faith Formation program by participating in the planning and implementation of masses, liturgies and other spiritual activities to strengthen the faith life of the school

Strengthen all aspects of family life in the school community

Plan, promote and organise events and activities associated with the social, sporting, cultural and educational life of the school and school community and work to create and build a sense of community within the school. These activities may or may not raise funds to contribute to the school’s private income or to finance specific school priorities

Represent parents and their concerns to the appropriate authorities modelling agreed grievance procedures at all times. (Refer to “Suggested Grievance Procedure for Parents” on website)Comprises of the following:-

President, Secretary, Principal, Elected Members.

TEACHING STAFF & EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT STAFF

At St Joseph’s we seek to provide stimulating experiences within a pleasant, happy and secure environment. Our school is a place where all students have opportunities to access quality teaching and learning programs. We endeavour to challenge children to reach their full potential.

Our key learning areas are based on The Australian Curriculum which include English, Mathematics, Science,Technologies, The Arts, HASS, Health and Physical Education. Religious Education permeates our school environment.

Our school is proudly Catholic. We have a wonderful Christian heritage which allows us to live through the stories and traditions of the Catholic faith. Religious Education is an important component of the curriculum. It permeates throughout the entire school. Religious Education is based on the Crossways Framework, which enables students to learn about themselves, others and the Catholic religion.

We believe that each student is an individual with unique gifts, interests and different needs. We believe that all children will show their full potential and develop as important individuals in our school and in our world.

ASSESSMENT & REPORTING

Assessment & reporting reflects the partnership between home and school. Each child is issued with a “communication book or diary” which allows effective communication between the teacher and parent through out the year. Evaluation of each student’s progress is continuous with information provided to families throughout the year about each child’s development.

First Term – interview

Second Term – written report

Third Term – optional interview

End of Year – written report and optional interview.

If a situation arises that requires an additional interview, teachers will always be available to discuss issues with parents.